HEALTH & FITNESS TO YOUR HEALTH.

Byline: - Marilee Reyes

Freebies

Four in 10 adults 65 and older have hearing loss, with common environmental noise being the cause. Because it's painless, people usually aren't aware of the serious damage that results from repeated exposure to noise.

To call attention to these dangers, the Audiology Awareness Campaign is offering a free 15-page booklet to explain how common environmental noise - lawn mowers, machinery, radio headsets, automobile races - can create permanent hearing loss.

The booklet, ``Listen Up, America: We Hear You,'' lists simple ways to tell if surrounding noise is a threat. Do you have to raise your voice to be heard? Are speech sounds muffled or does music sound dull? Do you have difficulty hearing someone who is 3 feet away when you're in a noisy environment?

The campaign's Web site includes an online hearing test, an interactive question and answer board and additional helpful information. To obtain a free copy of the booklet, call [phone], or visit their Web sit at http//www.audiologyawareness.com

Web sites

Although a cruise is designed to be a worry-free adventure, a little planning and extra care may help ensure that it stays that way. While most will find it smooth sailing, some 300,000 will probably need medical attention while on board a cruise ship.

While there are no enforceable international standards governing the quality of medical care to be available in a ship's infirmary, there are enforceable sanitation standards. To be sure your vessel meets these standards, you can access sanitation scores for your vessel with the help of your travel agent or via the Internet.

The Web site address is: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/programs/sanit/vsp/scores/scores.htm. For a full inspection report on a vessel, write: Chief, Vessel Sanitation Program, National Center for Environmental Health, 1015 North American Way, Room 107, Miami, Fla. 33132.